Year 6 Science scheme of work covering permineralisation stages and Mary Anning's historical discoveries to ensure logical progression through the fossil record.
A strategic unit plan mapping the logical progression of skills, knowledge, and assessment points across an entire topic.
Subject: Science | Year: 6
Class/Set: ____________ Date/Term: ____________
Intent: Students will develop a deep understanding of how fossils are formed over millions of years and how the fossil record provides essential evidence for the theory of evolution and environmental change.
| Timeframe | Lesson Title | Learning Objective (LO) | Key Activities / Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lesson 1 | Introduction to Fossils | To define fossils and identify the conditions required for fossilisation. | Examine: Observe various fossil samples. Label: Complete a diagram of sedimentary rock layers. Explain: List the 'Tier 2' vocabulary: sediment, erosion, and mineralisation. |
| Lesson 2 | The Process of Formation | To describe the stages of permineralisation. | Sequence: Order the stages from death to discovery. Model: Use bread or clay to simulate the compression of organic matter over time. |
| Lesson 3 | Mary Anning and Palaeontology | To evaluate the historical significance of Mary Anning's discoveries. | Research: Use secondary sources to track Anning's finds in Lyme Regis. Discuss: Debate why her work was initially overlooked by the scientific community. |
| Lesson 4 | Mid-Unit Assessment | To demonstrate understanding of fossil formation and terminology. | Assess: Complete a mid-unit retrieval quiz. Explain: Write a short paragraph explaining why most living things do not become fossils. |
| Lesson 5 | Fossils as Evidence | To explain how fossils provide evidence for evolution. | Compare: Contrast the skeletal structure of an Archaeopteryx with a modern bird. Analyse: Identify shared characteristics between prehistoric and modern species. |
| Lesson 6 | Trace Fossils vs Body Fossils | To distinguish between trace fossils and body fossils. | Categorise: Sort images into 'Body' (teeth/bone) or 'Trace' (footprints/coprolites). Infer: Suggest what trace fossils tell us about ancient animal behaviour. |
| Lesson 7 | Environmental Clues | To infer past environments from fossil evidence. | Investigate: Look at marine fossils found on mountain tops. Hypothesise: Create a theory on how the landscape has changed over millions of years. |
| Lesson 8 | The Fossil Record Review | To consolidate knowledge of the fossil record's limitations and strengths. | Review: Summarise the unit's key findings. Summarise: Final unit assessment focusing on the 'Working Scientifically' curriculum descriptors. |
Resources Needed:
Sequencing the transition from concrete observation to abstract evolutionary theory addresses the common Year 6 struggle with deep-time conceptualisation. By explicitly teaching permineralisation through a staged sequence from death to discovery, this resource replaces vague notions of petrification with precise geological mechanisms. The architecture prioritises schema construction by isolating the conditions for fossilisation before introducing the fossil record as empirical evidence for change. This strategic scaffolding ensures that pupils move beyond simple identification, developing the disciplinary rigour required to evaluate past environments and biological evolution as part of their Key Stage 2 scientific development.
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